More Bike Lanes In Richardson, Texas – Collins Blvd.

We got a notice from our city that more bike lanes were being installed – with more planned for the summer. I’m excited because the ones installed this summer will be in my neighborhood. Click here to see a map of the completed bike lanes in Richardson (so far).

Another 1.1 miles of new bike lanes are being installed this week on both sides of Collins Blvd from Campbell Rd. northward to tie into the existing bike lanes on Collins Blvd at Palisades Creek. This installation will connect the existing bike lane system on Collins Blvd from the Renner Trail all the way down to Campbell Road.

Later this summer there will be three additional bike lane segments installed as part of the Safe Routes to School program grant received from TxDOT. Collins Blvd (Plano Rd to Jupiter) Yale Blvd (Arapaho to Campbell) Owens Blvd (Woodoak to Campbell)

All of these bike lane segments were discussed in the City Council worksession on 10/22/2012 and continue to address the Council Near Term Action Item #29.

4 Responses

Looking at the logo – very thought provoking since there are two wheels, no bike at all, but a helmet (or a big bowl) nearly as large as the arm. With the striping, isn’t this taking up as much road width as a full motorized vehicle lane? If so, why not simply publicize the law, which is that all RH lanes are bike lanes that motorists are allowed to use when no cyclists are around?

Hahaha! It’s an invisible bike with Moe, from the 3 Stooges, riding it.

It is taking up the full vehicle lane. The city has tried several types of striping and settled on this option, because they like the ‘buffer’ that it implies. It still leaves enough room to ride out of the gutter.

Again, with all of the Richardson bike lanes, the primary goal is to ‘calm’ traffic. The results are subjective, but you won’t hear me complaining. Cars can still cut into the bike lane to make right hand turns.

The city actually does publicize the law – buried on their web site, but also through signage (Share The Road and Bike May Use Full Lane) at almost every road entering the city limits.

At the end of the day, the bike lanes help. Maybe not so much for driver education as it is to motivate others to ride. This is a comment from the BFR site sharing the same pics: “This is great news.I’m more determin than ever to get back on a bike.”

A disdainful note of thanks for posting this information. I’ll now add all of these routes to the list of those to avoid when traveling through Richardson. Since it’s highly unlikely Carter will ever receive permission to install magic paint on Belt Line, Campbell, Arapaho, Coit or Renner, I’m pretty certain I will always be able to find a way across Richardson to Dallas and Plano.

One correction to Steve’s comment:
All right-hand lanes are *NOT* necessarily bike lanes. As a design vehicle, **EVERY** lane is a bike lane and ALL traffic must remain as far to the right as practicable. The law only requires that slow moving vehicles keep right “unless…passing another vehicle; preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway” or avoiding obstacles and debris. As a cyclist, I have just as much right to be in the center or left lanes, if I am avoiding an obstacle or preparing to turn left. My presence designates these lanes as ‘bike lanes’ as well.

There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that bike lanes motivate others to ride. I’ve done my own surveys of the bike lanes in Richardson near my residence — those on Yale, Apollo, Groves and Custer. There is absolutely zero increase in bicycle traffic; not on weekdays, not on weekends. Some timid cyclists simply move from riding on the sidewalk to riding in the bike lane. Some remain fearful and continue to ride on the sidewalks. I’m dubious that this increases their motivation or competence. Only confronting the irrational their fear that motorists are out to kill them will increase the number of transportation cyclists. Completing a CyclingSavvy course, as you did, is an important first step toward achieving this end.